Quantifying individual variation in behaviour: mixed-effect modelling approaches
TLDR
An overview of how mixed-effect models can be used to partition variation in, and correlations among, phenotypic attributes into between- and within-individual variance components is provided.Abstract:
Growing interest in proximate and ultimate causes and consequences of between- and within-individual variation in labile components of the phenotype - such as behaviour or physiology - characterizes current research in evolutionary ecology. The study of individual variation requires tools for quantification and decomposition of phenotypic variation into between- and within-individual components. This is essential as variance components differ in their ecological and evolutionary implications. We provide an overview of how mixed-effect models can be used to partition variation in, and correlations among, phenotypic attributes into between- and within-individual variance components. Optimal sampling schemes to accurately estimate (with sufficient power) a wide range of repeatabilities and key (co)variance components, such as between- and within-individual correlations, are detailed. Mixed-effect models enable the usage of unambiguous terminology for patterns of biological variation that currently lack a formal statistical definition (e.g. 'animal personality' or 'behavioural syndromes'), and facilitate cross-fertilisation between disciplines such as behavioural ecology, ecological physiology and quantitative genetics.read more
Citations
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Temporal autocorrelation: a neglected factor in the study of behavioral repeatability and plasticity
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Individual variation in energy‐saving heterothermy affects survival and reproductive success
Melanie Dammhahn,Melanie Dammhahn,Manuelle Landry-Cuerrier,Denis Réale,Dany Garant,Murray M. Humphries +5 more
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Tank size alters mean behaviours and individual rank orders in personality traits of fish depending on their life stage
TL;DR: This study supports the hypothesis that behavioural repeatability increases with age, suggesting that personality estimates on adult animals may be less vulnerable to variation in laboratory contexts than those on juvenile ones.
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The mean matters: going beyond repeatability to interpret behavioural variation
TL;DR: Variance standardized measures have limitations of which potential users should be aware and additional metrics that may be useful to researchers are discussed.
References
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors proposed a multilevel regression model to estimate within-and between-group correlations using a combination of within-group correlation and cross-group evidence.
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Benjamin M. Bolker,Mollie Elizabeth Brooks,Connie J. Clark,Shane W. Geange,John R. Poulsen,M. Henry H. Stevens,Jada-Simone S. White +6 more
TL;DR: The use (and misuse) of GLMMs in ecology and evolution are reviewed, estimation and inference are discussed, and 'best-practice' data analysis procedures for scientists facing this challenge are summarized.